Sickness and Shipwrecks
by rosehedwig243
Summary: When Jun-Jun is rendered ill, Raphael and Gardo must embark on the journey of their lives to save him,
1. Chapter 1

Hi. It's Jun-Jun here. Though you may call me Rat, as you are probably more used to Rat being my name.

I'm writing about something that happened a few weeks ago to the three of us, Raphael, Gardo and I. It's been a while since we came to the island. None of us really know how long it's been. We're all just really happy and glad that the police are yet to find the island.

A few weeks ago, we had the catch that sent Raphael and Gardo on a quest to find someone to help me.

We had caught a puffer-fish. Raphael and Gardo were against eating it, as they didn't know how to prepare it. But I did. Or at least I thought I did. I must not have been paying close enough attention to it. I probably got distracted, due to salivating at the very though of eating puffer-fish. Puffer-fish is a delicacy around here. Not many are found in these parts. But this is the part where Raphael takes over. Soon after eating the puffer-fish alone, I started to feel sick. Seriously sick. Dangerously sick…

Raphael here, to take over the story from Rat.

Rat started vomiting a little while after eating his meal of puffer-fish. Gardo and I had no idea what to do. We had never seen someone suffer from puffer-fish poison. Gardo found a girl about my age, called Amalia She was very nice. I think that Gardo likes her. He seems familiar with her, and they fell into easy conversation when we found her. So would love to look after Jun-Jun for us. Gardo came to me once we had arrived back at the shack where we boys live. She had suggested that we take our little boat, the S.S Pia, and search for a hospital ship or a ship so big, it would have a medi man. The island lost its skilled medi man many days ago, when he got diphtheria and died soon after.

I am worried though. What if something happens, and Jun-Jun dies while we are away. But Gardo explained it to me. We would feel guilty, if he died because we didn't try to help. So we will go.


	2. Chapter 2

This is Gardo writing now. Raphael's hand was getting sore.

Raphael can be such an idiot at times. He did not realise that

Soon after Raphael realised that it would be a better option to try and get help for Rat, we set off in the S.S Dante. We gathered the fish we had caught before Jun-Jun caught the puffer-fish –he had insisted we go back so he could prepare it and it right away while it was still very fresh- and took some water in some bottles that were lying around. We have no need normally for them, we have a tap and cups in our little shack that we get all our water from. Raphael wanted to run away immediately, but I asked him if he wanted to starve and become thirsty. We live a life of luxury now compared to the dumpsite, but we should not waste the fish. After all, we do not know how long we will be away. The S.S Dante is only a little boat. But we love it. We have seen bigger boats, that we could afford if we caught and saved enough money, but they are handled by many and stronger men.


	3. Chapter 3

It's Rap here. Gardo needed to go pee, and so he asked me to take over rewriting this.

A little while after we set off in our boat, we saw some signs that a storm was coming. When we first came to the island, some of the older men took us under their wing, and showed us the ropes of fishing, and taught us how to read the weather, and what the different clouds meant. These clouds meant business. And danger. But we rowed on, knowing that we had to do this for Rat. Not long after we spotted the clouds, it got nasty. There was lightning, thunder, hail, and it was bucketing down with rain. We managed to get through the start of the storm only feeling like drowned rats in a boat. Then it got really bad. The S.S Dante got struck by lightning.

The S.S Dante split in half and broke. Gardo and I grabbed as much of our water and fish as possible, and grabbed onto planks from our boat.

The storm died down soon after, and I kicked the water with all my might. I was able to find Gardo eventually, but it took a while. It was quite desolate to see our pretty little boat, named in memory of Pia Dante, broken up and floating everywhere, never to carry us around on the water again.

We were lost. It was the truth. But we spotted something on the horizon, sailing towards us. We couldn't believe our eyes as it sailed closer and closer towards the patch of water in which we were floating. It looked like a medical ship when we examined it closer.


	4. Chapter 4

Still Raphael.

The ship seemed to heading for us. We kicked and swum away so we weren't directly in the way, and then started waving and shouting at the ship as it came closer. It seemed to slow down, and then stopped completely. The ship then did a miraculous thing. One of its lifeboats was let down and rowed by a couple of the sailors towards us! Hallelujah, it had seen us! We were relieved, to say the least. They pulled us into the boat, and started questioning us.

The sailors asked us why we were out there, floating in the ocean, nearly drowning, all alone, nowhere near an island or any land.

When we gave our reason, they were shocked. The sailors informed us that the storm that wrecked the S.S Dante, and left us out there with no way of getting home was one of the worst that the area had ever seen. We were extremely lucky to be alive.

We were rowed back to the ship, and taken up.

The kind sailors and doctors fed us, bathed us and dressed us in the cleanest clothes we could ever imagine. The ship was huge, the biggest, cleanest and whitest we had ever seen. Gardo and I were amazed. We knew that foreign wanted to help people like us, but not that they were so rich!

Once they cleaned us up, and gave us more clothes to keep, we were taken to see a big, important looking man. He was steering the ship, and later we realised he was the captain.

He was very kind, and asked us where we came from. He needed someone to help him speak to us though.

When we said that we came from the island that the locals only know as "Pala", or "Palawan", the Captain, who everyone called Luke, gasped. His first mate piped in and told us that they had been helping the residents of Jolo and Basilian, and that they were a a tad far northwest of Luzon. When I heard Luzon, my heart ached. That is where we came from, and whenever I hear of it it makes me sad, for we will never be able to return, and I will never see my aunty or cousins again, unless they leave Behala to join us, which is unlikely.


	5. Chapter 5

Gardo now. I am back, and Raphael is looking very tired

The captain was wonderful! He offered to take us to the island, and not only help Rat, but some of the other sick inhabitants of Pala.

So he did. The ship was wonderfully fast. As it took us back to Pala, we were shown a room with some beds and sheets. Oh, those heavenly sheets! Raphael and I laid down, and had a sleep during the journey. Well, Raphael did at least. I was too worried about Rat to try and sleep.

It took a while, but we finally arrived. When we did, we had docked at the large wharf that the people of Pala built all by themselves, from scratch. It is very sturdy and safe, but the only wharf on the whole island. Our shack isn't far from the wharf, so the ship's head doctor brought his large medical bag, and me and Raphael showed him the way.

When he entered our home, he went and knelt down besides Jun-Jun. He asked what we think had happened to him, and we told him all about the puffer-fish. Luckily, a few days ago the doctor had acquired a small amount of the antidote, and fed it to Jun-Jun. He was looking very ill, Jun-Jun, but soon after the antidote passed through his lips, he regained some of his colour, and was feeling much better. They left us, with strict instructions not to let him move much until he was much better, and some fresh food, much better than we could ever afford. Raphael, Jun-Jun and I couldn't process it. They were being so kind, and helpful, but didn't expect anything in return. They were Jun-Jun's saviour, and ours too. If they hadn't saved me and Raphael out there on the water, all three of us would have died. But we didn't. And so I thank them forever.

The End.


End file.
